A Fragile State of Mind (A Tokyo Ghoul/Twilight Saga Crossover)

Bookshop Shenanigans

They hadn't been in the charming downtown of Port Angeles for very long before Kaneki silently wandered off from the group. It wasn't like his opinion was really needed; the cafe was Touka's dream, not Kaneki's. Kaneki texted Tsukiyama as he walked, asking how he and the others were in Japan and how things were going. Usually, Kaneki would ask Nishiki or Uta, but Kaneki knew neither man would give him answers beyond "everything's fine" and then chide him for worrying so much.

Tsukiyama, always eager to talk to Kaneki in general, was easier to get answers from, even if Kaneki still had to dig for them. At least Tsukiyama never chided Kaneki; he only had to get past the man's sly comments and poorly disguised innuendos. Besides, since Touka would be spending a lot of money in one go, Kaneki had to do his part to keep in contact with Tsukiyama. With Japan being thirteen hours ahead of them, Kaneki didn't expect an immediate response from him. Even the Gourmet ghoul had to sleep sometimes despite being a perpetual night owl.

There were many people out and about. Kaneki maneuvered himself through the groups, keeping closer to the road while most kept to the inside of the sidewalk, eventually finding the high-end bookstore he'd been looking for. He'd seen the place online and wanted to pay a visit ever since they had come to Forks. He entered the cooler air of the building, smiling politely at the worker by the registers who greeted him.

It had been a while since Kaneki had gone book shopping for himself, and he breathed in deeply, the familiarity of the atmosphere bringing back a sense of nostalgia and calm. He wandered through the shelves, slowly scanning over the many titles. Many English titles weren't available in Japan outside of the essential classics that a literature major was required to read. Kaneki recognized the cover of The Kite Runner and had his own copy at home.

Kaneki smelled and heard him before he actually saw him. Not looking up from the back book cover he was reading, Kaneki asked, "How'd you find me?" Everyone else had been preoccupied when he'd slipped away from the group.

"Um...I followed your scent?" It was obviously meant to be a joke, but Kaneki wasn't sure.

"Well, I hope it's not a bad scent," Kaneki said sarcastically. Emmett chuckled, and Kaneki glanced up to see the larger male rubbing his hand along the back of his neck.

"They must be used to you wandering off, huh? They didn't even really react when they noticed."

Kaneki raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. "I'm not a child who needs supervision."

Emmett hummed, leaning his shoulder against the shelf beside him as he watched Kaneki browse the books. "So, you like reading then? Makes sense. What else are you into?"

"Why?"

Emmett tilted his head to the side slightly, blinking. Emmett had asked out of genuine curiosity. He wanted any information he could get about Kaneki and his interests for future reference. "Just making conversation. That's usually how people become friends, you know."

Kaneki thought for a moment, only to mentally cringe at the dull realization that he didn't have that many interests outside of literature. He had only, in recent years, gotten back into it. His eyes narrowed at the thick hardcover novel he held: a Stephen King piece. Why am I feeling self-conscious suddenly? Reading and literature...those had always been Kaneki's main outlets. Perhaps making being a regular at Big Girl's a personality trait counted back when he was human and could enjoy food with Hide.

And Hide, himself, if a person could count as an interest. This had never bothered Kaneki before...so why was it now? Was it because of Emmett? Kaneki's eyebrows furrowed. That made no sense. Why would Emmett care if he had only one or two boring hobbies? Why did Kaneki care?